Art of making shoes



Nov. 29, 1932. I E. P. LIBBY 1,889,205

ART OF MAKING SHOES Filed Sept. 21, 1928 /NVENTUR- Patented Nov. 29,1932 n wires nnrr EDWARD i LIBBY, or

PATENT OFFICE CORPOR ATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A COEPORATION OFNEW JERSEY ART or MAKING snons Application filed September 21 1928.Serial No. 307,408.

This invention relates to a counter particularly adapted for use inmaking molded counter turn shoes and to a method of making the counter aMethods of making molded counter turn shoes maybe divided into twogeneral classes, first, those in which the molded counter is attached tothe shoe while the shoe is wrongside-out,-and, second, those in whichthe in counter is inserted in and attached to the shoe after the shoehas been turned rightside-out. In both methods the counter may or maynothave a strengthening member, commonly called a tuck, which fitsinside t the lower portion of the counter and is fastened to the flangeof the counter. It is desirable, other things being equal, to dis pensewith the tuck; and the present invention provides a molded counter whichhas no tuck attached thereto and a method of making the counter, saidcounter being preferably inserted in the shoe after the shoe has beenturned right-side out.

According to the present invention the forward ends of the flange of thecounter are connected by a staple having one leg anchored to one endonly of said flange and the other leg anchored to the other end. Theillustrated counter has a wide flange the forward ends of which are heldin spaced relation by a staple which'bridges the gap between said ends.Such counter may be conveniently produced by molding it a wide flange,holding the forward ends of the flange in the desired relation andfastening the forward ends of the flange in this relation by driving astaple in such mannerthat one leg of the staple is anchored to one endonly of the flange and the other leg to the 40 other end only of theflange. 1

There is thus provided a rigid counter which will hold its shape in theshoe, and

the flange of which receive not only the lasting tacks but also part ofthe nails by which the heel is attached so that the counter will besecurely fastened in place.

Referring now to the accompanying draw- Fig. 1 is a perspective showinga turn shoe wrong-side-out upon the first last after the shoe has beensewed around the forepart and shank;

Fig. 2 is a perspective showing the heel form with the counter and theshoe rightside-out upon it after the margin of the upa per has beenlasted over upon and tacked to the flange of the counter;

F 3 is a perspective of the heel portion of a shoe to which a wood heelis to be attached, showing the heel seat nailed and shaped to receivesuch a heel; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the counter.

The counter 15 (Fig. 4) has a flange wide enough so that, in the courseof the manufacture of the turn shoe in which it is to be incorporated,it receives not only the lasting tacks 23 (Fig. 2) but also the heelseat nails 25 as well as part of the nails (not shown) by which the heel(also not shown) is attached. This counter may be made by dieing a blankout of sheet stock, molding it to approximate shape and then holding theforward ends of the counter in the desired relative position and drivingand clenching the staple '19. The illustrated staple is an elongated oneand has one leg anchored to one of theforward ends of the counter flangeand the other leg anchored to the other for ward end of the flange so asto hold the two ends of the flange in the desired spaced relation.

In employing the counter in the preferred manner, an upper 5 and alining 7 together with a sole 9 are assembled wrong-side-out upon afirst last 11, the lining being slit as shown, and its rear portionturned down, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The upper and lin-' ing arefastened to the sole by a row of stitches 13 which extends around theshank and forepart of the shoe leaving the heel seat open.- Fig. 1 showsthe shoe of its manufacture.

The first last is now withdrawn, the shoe turned right-side-out, and theheel portion of the lining pulled out farther if necessary. A countersuch as the counter 15 is placed upon an iron heel form 17 and the heelportion of the shoe isplaced over it. The form 17 is preferably mountedupon the standard 21 of a heel seat lasting machine such as that at thisstage disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,583,044, granted May 4, 1926,upon an application filed in the name of Hoyt, by which machine thelasting step of the present method may advantageously be carried out,the heel form 17 being substituted for the last pin of the machinedisclosed in the Letters Patent referred to. The shoe is pulled forwardto locate the counter properly in the shoe, and then the lasting machineis caused to operate whereby the margin of the upper 5 is lasted overupon the wide flange 115 of the counter and fastened to the flange bythe tacks 23. Fig. 2 shows the shoe at this stage of its manufacture.The placing of the upper and the counter upon a form at this stage inthe manufacture of the shoe, and the lastingof the upper over upon andthe attaching of it to the counter flange permits the counter tobelocated accurately and fastened securely in the desired position; andthe heel end of the sole, being quite unattached to the rest of theshoe, may be bent back as shown so as tobe out of the way during thelasting operation.

The shoe is now removed from the heel form, the heel portion of thelining put smoothly into place with its lower margin out-turned upon theflange of the counter; and a shank piece is placed in the shoe andfastened by cement or tacks or both. The shank piece has not been shownsince a shank piece is a well known part of a turn shoe, one suitablearticle of this kind being shown, for example, in Letters Patent No.1,429,- 694, granted September 19, 1922, upon an application filed inthe name of Pope.

The second last is now inserted in the shoe and the heel seat nailed,for example, by means of the nails 25, as shown in Fig. 3, the nails 25passing through the sole, the counter flange and the shank piece. If awood heel is to be attached, the heel seat of the sole is trimmed asshown in that figure. The heel is then nailed on in the usual manner.

Although a particular form of counter having a wide flange the forwardends of which are held in spaced relation has been shown, it shouldbeunderstood that the invention is not limitedin the scope of itsapplication'to the particular counter illustrated or to the "method ofmaking this particular counter.

7 Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is: V

1. A molded counter, the forward ends of the flange of which areconnected by a staple having one leg anchored to one end only of saidflange and the other leg anchored to the other end only'of said flange.

2. A molded counter, the forward ends of which are held in fixed spacedrelation by. a staple which bridges the gap between said ends. Y

3. A molded counter, having a flange wide enough to receive the heelattaching nails of a turn shoe, the forward ends of said flange beingheld in spaced relation by a staple which bridges the gap between saidends and has its legs anchored respectively, one to each end.

4. The method of making a molded counter for use in turn shoes whichcomprises providing a counter with a wide flange and fastening theforward'ends of the flange in fixed relation to each other by a staple,one leg of which passes through one end only of the flange, and theother leg of which passes through the other end only of said flange.

5. The method of making a molded counter for use in turn shoes whichcomprises providing a flanged counter holding the forward ends of thecounter in the desired relation and fastening the forward ends of theflange in fixed, spaced relation to each other by a staple, one leg ofwhich passes through one end only of the flange and the other leg ofwhich passes through the other end only of said flange.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

EDWARD P. LIBBY.

